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J. STEPHENSON.

GABLE GRIP CARRIER No. 403,303. Patented May 14, 1889.

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No. 403,303. Patented May 14, 1889..

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J. STEPHENSON; GABLE GRIP OARRIER.

No. 403,303. Patented May 14, 1889.

um; Hm Ii HUI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN STEPHENSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CABLE-GRIP CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,303, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed July 21; 1888. $eria1No. 280,630. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN STEPHENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Grip Carriers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

There are several reasons why the grip in cable cars should not be permanently fastened to the car-body or the truck, to wit: First, frequent removals are requisite of the dies or jaws which hold the cable; second, it is necessary for the car to abandon the grip at the terminus of the road or elsewhere; third, there is a change of position of the grip when passing curves; fourth, it is desirable to permit the grip to move before the car-body to avoid jerk when starting the car.

My invention consists of means whereby to attain these required ends, as fully set forth hereinafter, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the truck and frame of a tram-car, illustrating my invention in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a longitudial sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a side elevation; Fig. 5, a plan of part of the appliances. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation showing one of the wheels and adjacent parts of the frame and appurtenances. Fig. 7 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a side view of one of the axle-boxes and adjacent parts of the frame. Figs. 9 to 14 are views of detached details.

The results desired can only be attained when the grip is carried by a frame capable of horizontal motion in every direction, and borne by a truck independent of the car-body.

For my purpose a cable car is used with a truck-frame, the side sills, 5, of which are sustained by pendants 4, integral to the axlebox shells 3, the truck. having a central open space or well-hole, as, of sufiicient size for location and action of the grip, as set forth in a separate application for Letters Patent filed by me, Serial No. 280,508. In the well=hole are placed two transverse bars, 136, crossing the well-hole, and with the ends of the transverse bars lodged in the checks of thewellhole or in keepers 137, attached to the checks.

The transverse bars 136, in combination with two connecting and articulated rods, 138 138, form a four-sided frame capable of universal horizontal motion, limited only by the necessities of the case, so that the carrier of the grip is a frame consisting of two transverse bars, united at desirable distance by two articulated parallel rods, forming a figure or frame of four sides capable of changing its angles as controlled by the grip when passing curves. Each bar 136 has on its upper surface a grip-lodge, 139, in the form of a cove, adapted to hold the grip-machine in place or surrender it when required to be detached from the car. Each bar 136 of the grip-carrier is also connected by a chain, 122, with a spring slide-bar, 123, to which is attached the draw-head, as set forth in a separate application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 280,513. The spring 118, that is compressed by the endwise motion of each bar, surrounds the tail end of the bar in a socket, 117.

The grip, when it seizes the cable, is with its carrier jerked into motion before the carbody starts. Then the springs 118 correct the extravagance of motion and restore the car-body to equilibrium.

The spring corrects the position of the grip in its well-hole, and is so arranged that when the cable is seized by the grip the said spring impels forward the front transverse bar of the grip-carrier, while the opposite spring, connected with the rear transverse bar of the carrier, operates to restore the parts to equilibrium.

A grip-lock is necessary to hold the grip from being lifted out of place by the cable. This is accomplished by having on the surface of each transverse bar a cove or socket, y, into which the nose of the grip is lodged. The walls of the cove rise above the grip-nose, and a key, 140, extends through the walls above the gripnose to prevent the grip from rising out of place.

The key 1&0 has a bent end or lever and a round barrel with its bit thrust through the cove-walls over the grip. The weight of the bit with its corresponding lever turns the key sufficient to prevent it from escaping from its bearings.

It is also advantageous to have connected to the truck-frame the brake apparatus,whioh may be of any desired form, but preferably adapted to operate both on the wheels of the car and on the track. The same reasons as those already given why the grip should be attached to the tr uck-fran1e apply with greater or less force to the attaching the brake mechanism thereto. In the construction shown in the accompanying drawings there is a place or well, y, for attaching the brakes in the truck-frame at each side thereof, an d is formed by the sills 5 and sub-sills 6 and the crossrails 9. It will be seen that the truck is provided with two places or wells, 11 one at each side of the truck, so that separate and independent brake apparatus may be used for the wheels and also for the track on either side of the truck.

I claim- 1. A cable-grip carrier consisting 01": two end bars and two articulated rods, forming a foursided frame capable of assuming variable angles as it is controlled by the grip, each end bar having at its external edge an eye or hook suitable to be connected with the draw-head spring, adapting the grip-carrier to be putin motion by the cable while the car is quiescent, substantially as and for the purpose de scribed.

2. A cable-grip carrier with its two end bars having each a grip-lodge in form of a cove adapted to receive the upper corners of the grip, the walls of the lodge rising above the grip, and a key passing through both walls and crossing the grip and adapted to keep the same in place, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A cable-grip carrier with each end bar provided with a grip-lodge holding the corners of a cable-grip, kept in place bya key with its bit in a horizontal plane, passed through the lodge-walls above the grip, and the key-bit provided with a handle, so as by its gravity, when in place, to assume a position preventing the escape of the key, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4:. In a car-truek, the combination of a truckframe rigidly supported from the axle-box shells by pendants thereof and provided with places for the brake mechanism, and a cablegrip carrier adapted to said frame and movably supported therein below the axle-journals outside of the wheels, substantially as described.

5. A cable'grip carrier adapted to a truckframe having its supports outside of the carwheels, the carrier being in the central part of the truck and supported by keepers to permit endwise and lateral. motion, substantially as described.

6. In a OZt1'-lJl'llCk, a truck-frame rigidly supported from the axle-box shells by pendants and provided with a central well, 90, for the cable-gri p mechanism, and also provided with two wells, 11 y, for brake mechanism, one on each side of the truck-frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J OllN STEPHENSON. Witnesses:

STUART A. STEPHENSON, CHARLES E. FOSTER. 

